The Terror Years: from Al Qaeda to the Islamic State by Lawrence Wright

Review by Sabrina Pecorelli

The short:

Lawrence Wright unravels the circumstances that enabled Al Qaeda’s inception and expansion into a global jihadist network, which culminated in the emergence of the Islamic State as its more radical counterpart. 

The long:

The Terror Years is made up of ten parts representing ten different articles published in The New York Times. They outline Al Qaeda’s evolution from its early years in the 1990s where it focused on pushing US troops out of the Middle East to the more current ideological differences that led it to separate from the Islamic State. Throughout the book, the author includes chapters on different topics including the role of media in Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Israeli conflict in Gaza, and Spanish and Syrian counterterrorism efforts- all while connecting these topics to the rise and existence of Al Qaeda.

As one of the most well-known terrorist organizations of the 21st century, Al Qaeda became a household name after the September 11th attacks and this book offers great insight into its leaders, history, and day to day activities. “The Man Behind bin Laden” sheds light on Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was bin Laden’s second in command, helping to create Al Qaeda and taking over after his death.

Lawrence Wright accurately captures the struggle between Islamists and the West that has been boiling since the 1990s. He examines Al Qaeda’s goals, strategies, and tactics over time, bringing the reader along as the organization experiences rebellions and splinter groups. Wright mainly focuses on Al Qaeda in most of the pages, only addressing ISIS in the final chapter.

The read or not to read:

This book serves as a great insight into one of the most famous terrorist organizations of our time, navigating through its creation all the way to its demise. I enjoyed reading this and I highly recommend it to someone whose interests align, but it’s not the kind of book that most people would read for fun.